Purple Pride Ponderings 10/14/2010
Minnesota Vikings @ New York Jets
Vikings - 20
Jets - 29
At a time when Minnesota sports fans needed a boost, the prodigal son, Randy Moss came back home. The Yankees finished off the (mostly) yearly post season drubbing of the Twins, the Wild lost their first two games, and the Wolves....well, they continue to be the Wolves.
So here comes #84 to save the day and hopefully, save the season. One would think that leading up to a big game against the Jets, the buzz would be centered around the return of the Super Freak in a purple jersey. But no, instead, Brett Favre finds a way to steal that thunder (notice how the game was delayed) and Moss' triumphant return is nothing more than a sidebar all week.
You can read my take on the Favre kerfuffle below in Final Thoughts, for now, let's go over the Jets game shall we.
Two Face
We've all heard the saying that it's a 60 minute game, not 30. Many coaches will spout that off as they head into the locker room at halftime after a horrendous first half. Sometimes you hear it during the post game press conference from a coach whose team just lost after having a substantial lead in the first half.
Much like the character Two Face from the Batman comics and movies, the Vikings offense was ugly and unbearable in one half, yet showed it's potential, grace, and power in the second half. Unfortunately the second half wasn't without imperfections. When you dig yourself into a hole in the first half, odds are you need to play mistake free football in the second half. While the final interception sealed the fate of this game, it was the over throw to Havin that sticks out the most. Favre claims that's a throw he normally makes in his sleep. Well Mr. Favre, sometimes you have to admit that all is not right (mentally and physically at this point) and allow your team the chance to win by pulling yourself out.
Missing Chester
There was no question that Chester Taylor would be missed. He was the perfect third down back for this team and always seemed to get the big first downs. What's missed most though was his ability to pickup the Blitz. The Vikings running backs are struggling to do this, and with Favre's mobility issues, it's a recipe for disaster. I thought Gerhart or Tahi would be able to step in, but neither are capable of getting the job done. The Gerhart pick seemed like a good idea at the time and a possible Chester Taylor replacement. Through four games though, I'm not sure if this kid can do anything good in the NFL. He looks slow, clumsy, and lost out there. Someone needs to step in and rectify this, Peterson is good, but he's not getting paid to be a blocking back.
Honorable Effort
It's hard to praise anything after a loss, but with the field position the offense consistently left the defense with, it was amazing the Vikings even had a chance to win this game late. With the offense sputtering, the defense stood to the task in the first half and kept the Jets out of the endzone. Let's not sugar coat this too much though as the Jets receivers had some early issues catching perfectly placed balls by Sanchez.
In the end, the defense has looked good enough to sustain wins should the offense find any kind of rhythm. My main concern right now is, where's the mighty pass rush? Even more glaring, where's Jarred Allen? He makes far too much money to be shut down by every team other than the Packers.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Percy Harvin - Sure he's going to benefit from Moss (Welker owners, watch your stock plummet now), but the kid can just flat out play. The play of the game was the catch in the back of the end zone. He's strong enough to avoid a push out and keep his feet inbounds while making a great catch.
Goat: Favre/Childress - Favre for putting this team in this predicament, Childress for enabling it. Scandal aside, Favre is not healthy enough to play, period.
What's on Tap
Fox's big game of the week right? The 1-3 Cowboys come into Mall of America Field ready to avenge their 2009 Playoff loss to the 1-3 Vikings. Not exactly what the network had planned, nor could any of us guessed would be the case before the season started. The Cowboys are still ticked about the Vikings running up the score in the playoffs (though they did their share of trash talk before the game to warrant it), but that has to be last on their minds as they look to avoid going 1-4. As for the Vikings, it's the Welcome home party everyone's been waiting for, the return of Randy Moss, in the Dome! That alone will energize the crowd and create a circus atmosphere, something that does not bode well for the Cowboys. There's a lot of if's in this game, mostly related to the Vikings signal caller, but I like the Vikings to make a turn to the positive in this game. Vikings win, and I see visions of Moss jumping into the crowd on two occasions during his homecoming.
Final Thoughts
Oh Favre, you tease us with your greatness only to bring us down Tiger Woods style. Say it isn't so Brett! Penisgate, donglegate, crocgate, whatever you want to call it....why Brett, why? I know it's innocent until proven guilty, but the writing's on the wall with this one. For someone so worried about his image, he's yet to deny his involvement with the Jenn Sterger case. Add a tearful apology to the team in the locker room before the game and it doesn't take a CSI expert to figure this one out.
Looking back at the off season now, there were signs pointing back to then. We all know he likes to miss camp, but I honestly believe he wasn't coming back without Childress sending his thugs down to get him (yes, I just called Longwell a thug, what the.....). He must have known then that if he came back to play, this scandal would break, especially with the Vikings playing the Jets on Monday night. Had he stayed home, this would have gone no where and his life as a grandpa would have been uninterrupted. He's yet to show that childlike emotion and passion while on the field, instead, he looks like someone that's carrying a heavy burden. Perhaps someone that's about to lose his wife and shatter is own perfect image.
He's mentally not in these games and the tendinitis in his throwing arm is starting to cost this team games. The time is now for Childress to pull the plug on Favre and attempt to electrify this team with Tavaris Jackson. Randy Moss makes QB's look good, and Jackson surely has the arm to hit him and, dare I say, Berrian deep down field. When Jackson stepped in for Frerotte in 2008, he played well enough to put the Vikings in the post season. This offense has many more proven weapons now than it did then, plus his mobility out of the pocket could pay dividends as well. Childress has a reputation to uphold and it could come with switching to Jackson, the QB he's promised for years that will be the missing link.
Till Next Week,
SKOL Vikings!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Purple Pride Ponderings 9/27/2010
Purple Pride Ponderings 9/29/2010
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
Vikings - 24
Lions - 10
The third game of a NFL season should never be considered a must win game, but that is where the Vikings found themselves on the brink of a early bye. Winning can cure a lot of things, even if that win comes against the (improved) Lions. The Defense got a bit healthier with the returns of corner backs Giffin and Cook, but the offense could use a swift break. So wipe those brows Vikings fans and sigh a collective breath of relief, at least they're not 0-3.
Penalties
12 Penalties for 100 yards cost this team from having a more explosive day. Since I'm late on this writing, and can say this - at least it wasn't 18, right Packer fans!! Seriously though, it comes down to discipline and for a mostly veteran team, this is unacceptable. They are lucky the Lions failed to capitalize on most of these mistakes or this could easily have been a "The sky is falling" segment. Clean up the mistakes and watch the scoreboard light up for the Purple.
All Day
Thank god for Adrian Peterson. With a stagnant passing game, Adrian Peterson is proving once again that he is the best running back in football. Peterson had a gaudy 7.0 yards per carry and had one of those signature runs as he busted out for his longest run ever from the line of scrimmage, 80 yards. If there was ever any question about Peterson losing a step, he proved all wrong on that run as be blew by two defenders that had a perfect angle on him. This is Adrian's team, not Favre's, and he's showing that with his play on and off the field.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Adrian Peterson - Not much more I can say than what I did above. Without Peterson in this game, the Vikings are 0-3, Favre's on his way back to Mississippi, and the Governor race no longer includes plans to fund a new Vikings Stadium.
Goat: Detroit Lions - I give the Lions this award simply because I feel they should be a better team than what their 0-3 record shows. Sure you can argue that they should have beaten the Bears on the last play of that game, but once again, given opportunity after opportunity to win, they fail in the end. The Vikings once again made enough mistakes to lose this game and the Lions failed to capitalize.
What's on Tap
I don't normally like early bye weeks, but this year, I more than welcome it especially going in on a positive note. It's time for this team to take a good look at itself and try to regain the offense swagger they had last season. It will get better once Sidney Rice returns, but he's still going to need some game speed adjusting early on. It's a good thing Adrian Peterson is playing with a chip on his shoulder, this is his team and the offense should run through him (or him run through defenses actually).
Final Thoughts
I understand the League's stance on protecting the QB, especially with all the head injury concerns. However, I am getting a bit frustrated with the ticky tacky calls against defensive players when it comes to pursuing the quarterback. There were two times in this game, one against each team, that had me shaking my head. A defensive lineman's job is to put pressure on the quarterback and knock him to the turf. So far this year, if you do that very thing, you're going to get flagged. The refs need to be taught to use common sense when enforcing the roughing the passer rules. This is a contact sport and the QB's do wear pads like everyone else. It's taking away from the game when defensive players find themselves afraid to even touch a QB, let alone deliver a game breaking hit that could result in an exciting play.
See you in two weeks and enjoy the bye.
SKOL VIKINGS!
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
Vikings - 24
Lions - 10
The third game of a NFL season should never be considered a must win game, but that is where the Vikings found themselves on the brink of a early bye. Winning can cure a lot of things, even if that win comes against the (improved) Lions. The Defense got a bit healthier with the returns of corner backs Giffin and Cook, but the offense could use a swift break. So wipe those brows Vikings fans and sigh a collective breath of relief, at least they're not 0-3.
Penalties
12 Penalties for 100 yards cost this team from having a more explosive day. Since I'm late on this writing, and can say this - at least it wasn't 18, right Packer fans!! Seriously though, it comes down to discipline and for a mostly veteran team, this is unacceptable. They are lucky the Lions failed to capitalize on most of these mistakes or this could easily have been a "The sky is falling" segment. Clean up the mistakes and watch the scoreboard light up for the Purple.
All Day
Thank god for Adrian Peterson. With a stagnant passing game, Adrian Peterson is proving once again that he is the best running back in football. Peterson had a gaudy 7.0 yards per carry and had one of those signature runs as he busted out for his longest run ever from the line of scrimmage, 80 yards. If there was ever any question about Peterson losing a step, he proved all wrong on that run as be blew by two defenders that had a perfect angle on him. This is Adrian's team, not Favre's, and he's showing that with his play on and off the field.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Adrian Peterson - Not much more I can say than what I did above. Without Peterson in this game, the Vikings are 0-3, Favre's on his way back to Mississippi, and the Governor race no longer includes plans to fund a new Vikings Stadium.
Goat: Detroit Lions - I give the Lions this award simply because I feel they should be a better team than what their 0-3 record shows. Sure you can argue that they should have beaten the Bears on the last play of that game, but once again, given opportunity after opportunity to win, they fail in the end. The Vikings once again made enough mistakes to lose this game and the Lions failed to capitalize.
What's on Tap
I don't normally like early bye weeks, but this year, I more than welcome it especially going in on a positive note. It's time for this team to take a good look at itself and try to regain the offense swagger they had last season. It will get better once Sidney Rice returns, but he's still going to need some game speed adjusting early on. It's a good thing Adrian Peterson is playing with a chip on his shoulder, this is his team and the offense should run through him (or him run through defenses actually).
Final Thoughts
I understand the League's stance on protecting the QB, especially with all the head injury concerns. However, I am getting a bit frustrated with the ticky tacky calls against defensive players when it comes to pursuing the quarterback. There were two times in this game, one against each team, that had me shaking my head. A defensive lineman's job is to put pressure on the quarterback and knock him to the turf. So far this year, if you do that very thing, you're going to get flagged. The refs need to be taught to use common sense when enforcing the roughing the passer rules. This is a contact sport and the QB's do wear pads like everyone else. It's taking away from the game when defensive players find themselves afraid to even touch a QB, let alone deliver a game breaking hit that could result in an exciting play.
See you in two weeks and enjoy the bye.
SKOL VIKINGS!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Purple Pride Ponderings 9/23/2010
Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings
Vikings - 10
Dolphins - 14
0-2, who would have ever thought the Vikings and Cowboys would be sitting in this hole already? Two playoff teams that have been touted as two of the best teams in the NFC for the 2010 season. Should these teams be hitting the panic button yet? I don't think so, but going 0-3 is damn near insurmountable. Since the Super Bowl era, no team has ever reached a Championship game after starting the season 0-3. Sure the lowly Lions are next and at home, but these motor city kitties should have beaten Chicago and took the Eagles to the hilt. Plus, their defense is vastly improved and Jahvid Best is a beast and appears to be the real deal.
Favre From Mid Season Form
He's in his 20th season, why does he need to be at training camp? Heard that plenty of times over the last two years and I'm sure I've even muttered it myself. Yes last year was special, but it still took Favre a few games to really get going. Unfortunately this year, when you start with two losses, things get exposed a bit more. Favre threw three picks at home against the Dolphins (granted the one to Harvin at the goal line was not his fault) which is already one more in the Dome than he had all last season.
His timing with his receivers is completely off (minus Shiancoe) and it's concrete proof that a few more weeks with these guys would have helped. Aside from that, his body language is showing that he's feeling 40 this year. Last year he looked fresh, was smiling all time and having fun. When Brett's having fun, look out! Of course the smiles and fun factor come a bit easier when you're winning.
Something To Prove
It's no secret that all eyes are on Adrian Peterson every time he touches the ball. For Vikings fans, it's a simple hold of the breath, for all others, it's awaiting that I told you so moment. So far, Peterson is silencing his critics and running with a serious purpose. Childress finally went back to giving him the number of carries he's warranted and Peterson answered with 145 yards on the ground, 41 in the air, and a touchdown. It's just too bad the offensive line was unable to create a decent hole for him to score when it was 1st and goal in the fourth quarter or we could be talking about a victory.
Still Time To Catch On?
Since I'm so late on this edition, the Wednesday deadline for a Vincent Jackson trade has passed. Too bad for him and too bad for the Vikings. The only positive I can pull out of this is that Vikings stood their ground and did not mortgage their future for a one season rental. San Diego failed to move the disgruntled wide out and now have to live with their decision to demand far too much for Jackson.
Still though, there is clearly a issue when it comes to play makers in the passing game for Favre. I'm not sure how many more chances Berrian should be allowed. His salary indicates that he should produce for more than he does. The team even put him in as punt returner to try and get something out of him and instead, he's already muffed a couple of fair signal called punts. Camarillo has solid hands and is a good route runner, but he's not going to spread the field. Along with newly acquired Hank Baskett, Favre has a short amount of time to get his timing down with these two receivers.
The issues have even gone as far as having Favre lineup as a defensive back in practice today to get a better idea of what his receivers are doing. That's as close to hitting the panic button as ever after missing out on Vincent Jackson. One thing's clear, this team needs to get a healthy Sidney Rice back as soon as possible.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Adrian Peterson -186 All-Purpose yards and a touchdown, that's more than enough to get this reward.
Goat: Bret Favre -Three interceptions and a fumble in the end zone that lead to a Dolphins touchdown, that's more than enough to get this reward.
What's on Tap
Week three and it's safe to say this is a must win game for the Vikings. As I mentioned in the opening, teams don't fare well after starting 0-3 and right after the Bye, the Vikings have four very tough games (@Jets, DAL, @GB, @NE).
Since Matt Millen's departure in Detroit, the Lions are slowly looking like a team that's on the verge of being competitive again. They are building a defense meant to stop teams like the Vikings and Packers and have a potential super star at running back. Detroit cannot be looked at as a trap team anymore and not only do they want to avoid 0-3 as well, they know they should at least be 1-1 right now.
Final Thoughts
Much like the NFC Championship game last season, the Vikings lost a close game that they easily could have won had they not turned over the ball. Last year, the Vikings were nearly perfect at home. After playing their first game in Mall of America Field this year, many are questioning this team's ability to score and play turnover free football. It's still early enough to rebound and find some kind of offensive continuity, but it has to happen this Sunday against the Lions. The defense is playing solid enough to win, now the offense needs to join them and this will once again be a top tier team for the 2010 season.
Till Next Week,
SKOL Vikings!
Vikings - 10
Dolphins - 14
0-2, who would have ever thought the Vikings and Cowboys would be sitting in this hole already? Two playoff teams that have been touted as two of the best teams in the NFC for the 2010 season. Should these teams be hitting the panic button yet? I don't think so, but going 0-3 is damn near insurmountable. Since the Super Bowl era, no team has ever reached a Championship game after starting the season 0-3. Sure the lowly Lions are next and at home, but these motor city kitties should have beaten Chicago and took the Eagles to the hilt. Plus, their defense is vastly improved and Jahvid Best is a beast and appears to be the real deal.
Favre From Mid Season Form
He's in his 20th season, why does he need to be at training camp? Heard that plenty of times over the last two years and I'm sure I've even muttered it myself. Yes last year was special, but it still took Favre a few games to really get going. Unfortunately this year, when you start with two losses, things get exposed a bit more. Favre threw three picks at home against the Dolphins (granted the one to Harvin at the goal line was not his fault) which is already one more in the Dome than he had all last season.
His timing with his receivers is completely off (minus Shiancoe) and it's concrete proof that a few more weeks with these guys would have helped. Aside from that, his body language is showing that he's feeling 40 this year. Last year he looked fresh, was smiling all time and having fun. When Brett's having fun, look out! Of course the smiles and fun factor come a bit easier when you're winning.
Something To Prove
It's no secret that all eyes are on Adrian Peterson every time he touches the ball. For Vikings fans, it's a simple hold of the breath, for all others, it's awaiting that I told you so moment. So far, Peterson is silencing his critics and running with a serious purpose. Childress finally went back to giving him the number of carries he's warranted and Peterson answered with 145 yards on the ground, 41 in the air, and a touchdown. It's just too bad the offensive line was unable to create a decent hole for him to score when it was 1st and goal in the fourth quarter or we could be talking about a victory.
Still Time To Catch On?
Since I'm so late on this edition, the Wednesday deadline for a Vincent Jackson trade has passed. Too bad for him and too bad for the Vikings. The only positive I can pull out of this is that Vikings stood their ground and did not mortgage their future for a one season rental. San Diego failed to move the disgruntled wide out and now have to live with their decision to demand far too much for Jackson.
Still though, there is clearly a issue when it comes to play makers in the passing game for Favre. I'm not sure how many more chances Berrian should be allowed. His salary indicates that he should produce for more than he does. The team even put him in as punt returner to try and get something out of him and instead, he's already muffed a couple of fair signal called punts. Camarillo has solid hands and is a good route runner, but he's not going to spread the field. Along with newly acquired Hank Baskett, Favre has a short amount of time to get his timing down with these two receivers.
The issues have even gone as far as having Favre lineup as a defensive back in practice today to get a better idea of what his receivers are doing. That's as close to hitting the panic button as ever after missing out on Vincent Jackson. One thing's clear, this team needs to get a healthy Sidney Rice back as soon as possible.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Adrian Peterson -186 All-Purpose yards and a touchdown, that's more than enough to get this reward.
Goat: Bret Favre -Three interceptions and a fumble in the end zone that lead to a Dolphins touchdown, that's more than enough to get this reward.
What's on Tap
Week three and it's safe to say this is a must win game for the Vikings. As I mentioned in the opening, teams don't fare well after starting 0-3 and right after the Bye, the Vikings have four very tough games (@Jets, DAL, @GB, @NE).
Since Matt Millen's departure in Detroit, the Lions are slowly looking like a team that's on the verge of being competitive again. They are building a defense meant to stop teams like the Vikings and Packers and have a potential super star at running back. Detroit cannot be looked at as a trap team anymore and not only do they want to avoid 0-3 as well, they know they should at least be 1-1 right now.
Final Thoughts
Much like the NFC Championship game last season, the Vikings lost a close game that they easily could have won had they not turned over the ball. Last year, the Vikings were nearly perfect at home. After playing their first game in Mall of America Field this year, many are questioning this team's ability to score and play turnover free football. It's still early enough to rebound and find some kind of offensive continuity, but it has to happen this Sunday against the Lions. The defense is playing solid enough to win, now the offense needs to join them and this will once again be a top tier team for the 2010 season.
Till Next Week,
SKOL Vikings!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Purple Pride Ponderings 9/13/2010
Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints
Saints - 14
Vikings - 9
So I've had a few days to mull over another Vikings loss to the Saints in the Big Easy. It's now Monday and I enjoyed a full day of week one NFL games thanks to Direct TV's free NFL Sunday Ticket preview weekend. No, I don't work for Direct TV, but I must say, that was the most impressive TV viewing of my life. It's a no brainer for those of us that play Fantasy Football with the ability to get player notifications across the screen of the players you choose. Enough of that though, time to get back on topic here. What I was trying to get at is in week one, was saw plenty of games and teams/players that are no where near mid season form, at the Vikings were no exception to that. Overall, the Vikings and Saints game was a dud, with both teams having rather lackluster offensive performances. So without further ado, it's time to break down the first Vikings game of the 2010 NFL Season - it's good to be back!
TJack in a Favre Disguise
I'm not a Tavaris Jackson basher, I sincerely would like to see the kid succeed and have the chance to lead this team after Favre retires (yeah I know, but I really believe this is finally it for him). With that said, Favre's line after this game looked very much like a TJack line we he was getting the starts at QB. Favre didn't exactly light it up last year in game one against the Browns, but he was still figuring things out with his new team and players. Plus, all he had to do in that game was hand it off to Adrian Peterson (something we should have seen more of in this game, but more on that later).
This time around however, it was just pure rust and a clear indication that his lack of Training Camp is a detriment. Other than Shaincoe, his timing was off with the other receivers and it's clear that he misses Sidney Rice's play making abilities and size. It would be nice to see the Vikings pick up disgruntled Vincent Jackson, but I don't think it's possible due to the money involved. Had Favre not gotten any additional money to come back, maybe, but that there alone ruins the chances of getting the much needed play maker. It's too bad, imagine having Jackson, Rice, Harvin, Shaincoe, and Peterson for the second half of the season.
This loss is on Childress, again
For Vikings fans, it's no secret that the team has lost several games simply due to being out coached. That was on display for the largest nationally televised audience in over 13 years this past Thursday night. The Vikings took the crowd out of the game with a long, methodical drive going into the half. Sure it only lead to three points, but that three points put them in the lead and kept Brees and company off the field. They did this by establishing the run, and Peterson was abusing their font seven while making them look gassed. Peterson had 13 carries in the 1st half, followed by only six in the 2nd half. It does not take a football genius to figure out why the Vikings lost a close game to the Saints in week one. Everyone talks about how great Chris Johnson is because of the numbers he is posting, but he does not have a bafoon of a head coach holding him back. There is no excuse for Peterson to get under 20 carries in any game. He's a 25-30 carry back, and it's time Childress acknowledged that and let Peterson get his buck fifty and two TD's every game. For the record, I do not have Adrian on my Fantasy team.
Remarkable Return
When EJ Henderson went down last December with the horrific broken leg, every thought his career was over. Well, do you believe in miracles? Nine short months later, Henderson started in this game against the Saints and was the second leading tackler in the game. To put it into perspective, it wasn't until mid April when he was allowed to attempt walking unassisted. His desire, work ethic, and never-say-never mentality during his recovery is something I marvel at and is the way I'd like to live my life.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Leslie Frazier - After the opening drive when the Saints marched straight down the field and scored on five quick plays, I feared the worst. The Vikings only had three corner backs and I had flash backs of the Halloween game I had first row seats in the end zone against the Patriots. To refresh your memory, that was the Monday Night game were Brady slung the ball all over the place and the Patriots didn't even bother running the ball.
But, after the rush of the jacked up crowd, mostly due to the celebration of the Super Bowl banner, the Vikings defense settled down nicely. This was due to Frazier's ability to make adjustments and place players in the right spots when short handed. I've been saying for the past couple of years that he deserves to be a head coach in this league, and I'd rather see that happen as the Vikings head coach.
Goat: Brad Childress - Already addressed this above and wasted enough time on him.
What's on Tap
Home opener against the Dolphins. A good time for the Vikings to regain their confidence and find that offensive swagger. Percy Harvin appears to have found the cause of his headaches (sleep apnea) and there will be ways to control it. Favre will settle down and start finding his groove with the wide receivers and I expect a huge game out of Peterson assuming Childress is capable of allowing his best weapon to get the number of touches he deserves.
Final Thoughts
Should the Vikings pursue Vincent Jackson? Tough one to call here due to the money involved and his current suspension status. If the suspension is dropped to three games due to a team change, it seems feasible. In the end though, I think the Vikings just have too many large salaries to deal with. I fully expect them to sign another receiver this week, but I expect a low impact move like Javon Walker, not a big splash like Vincent Jackson. Hell, I hear Randy Moss is feeling unloved in New England and Favre pushed for him when he was back with Green Bay......yeah, not gonna happen.
Till Next Week,
SKOL Vikings!
Saints - 14
Vikings - 9
So I've had a few days to mull over another Vikings loss to the Saints in the Big Easy. It's now Monday and I enjoyed a full day of week one NFL games thanks to Direct TV's free NFL Sunday Ticket preview weekend. No, I don't work for Direct TV, but I must say, that was the most impressive TV viewing of my life. It's a no brainer for those of us that play Fantasy Football with the ability to get player notifications across the screen of the players you choose. Enough of that though, time to get back on topic here. What I was trying to get at is in week one, was saw plenty of games and teams/players that are no where near mid season form, at the Vikings were no exception to that. Overall, the Vikings and Saints game was a dud, with both teams having rather lackluster offensive performances. So without further ado, it's time to break down the first Vikings game of the 2010 NFL Season - it's good to be back!
TJack in a Favre Disguise
I'm not a Tavaris Jackson basher, I sincerely would like to see the kid succeed and have the chance to lead this team after Favre retires (yeah I know, but I really believe this is finally it for him). With that said, Favre's line after this game looked very much like a TJack line we he was getting the starts at QB. Favre didn't exactly light it up last year in game one against the Browns, but he was still figuring things out with his new team and players. Plus, all he had to do in that game was hand it off to Adrian Peterson (something we should have seen more of in this game, but more on that later).
This time around however, it was just pure rust and a clear indication that his lack of Training Camp is a detriment. Other than Shaincoe, his timing was off with the other receivers and it's clear that he misses Sidney Rice's play making abilities and size. It would be nice to see the Vikings pick up disgruntled Vincent Jackson, but I don't think it's possible due to the money involved. Had Favre not gotten any additional money to come back, maybe, but that there alone ruins the chances of getting the much needed play maker. It's too bad, imagine having Jackson, Rice, Harvin, Shaincoe, and Peterson for the second half of the season.
This loss is on Childress, again
For Vikings fans, it's no secret that the team has lost several games simply due to being out coached. That was on display for the largest nationally televised audience in over 13 years this past Thursday night. The Vikings took the crowd out of the game with a long, methodical drive going into the half. Sure it only lead to three points, but that three points put them in the lead and kept Brees and company off the field. They did this by establishing the run, and Peterson was abusing their font seven while making them look gassed. Peterson had 13 carries in the 1st half, followed by only six in the 2nd half. It does not take a football genius to figure out why the Vikings lost a close game to the Saints in week one. Everyone talks about how great Chris Johnson is because of the numbers he is posting, but he does not have a bafoon of a head coach holding him back. There is no excuse for Peterson to get under 20 carries in any game. He's a 25-30 carry back, and it's time Childress acknowledged that and let Peterson get his buck fifty and two TD's every game. For the record, I do not have Adrian on my Fantasy team.
Remarkable Return
When EJ Henderson went down last December with the horrific broken leg, every thought his career was over. Well, do you believe in miracles? Nine short months later, Henderson started in this game against the Saints and was the second leading tackler in the game. To put it into perspective, it wasn't until mid April when he was allowed to attempt walking unassisted. His desire, work ethic, and never-say-never mentality during his recovery is something I marvel at and is the way I'd like to live my life.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Stud: Leslie Frazier - After the opening drive when the Saints marched straight down the field and scored on five quick plays, I feared the worst. The Vikings only had three corner backs and I had flash backs of the Halloween game I had first row seats in the end zone against the Patriots. To refresh your memory, that was the Monday Night game were Brady slung the ball all over the place and the Patriots didn't even bother running the ball.
But, after the rush of the jacked up crowd, mostly due to the celebration of the Super Bowl banner, the Vikings defense settled down nicely. This was due to Frazier's ability to make adjustments and place players in the right spots when short handed. I've been saying for the past couple of years that he deserves to be a head coach in this league, and I'd rather see that happen as the Vikings head coach.
Goat: Brad Childress - Already addressed this above and wasted enough time on him.
What's on Tap
Home opener against the Dolphins. A good time for the Vikings to regain their confidence and find that offensive swagger. Percy Harvin appears to have found the cause of his headaches (sleep apnea) and there will be ways to control it. Favre will settle down and start finding his groove with the wide receivers and I expect a huge game out of Peterson assuming Childress is capable of allowing his best weapon to get the number of touches he deserves.
Final Thoughts
Should the Vikings pursue Vincent Jackson? Tough one to call here due to the money involved and his current suspension status. If the suspension is dropped to three games due to a team change, it seems feasible. In the end though, I think the Vikings just have too many large salaries to deal with. I fully expect them to sign another receiver this week, but I expect a low impact move like Javon Walker, not a big splash like Vincent Jackson. Hell, I hear Randy Moss is feeling unloved in New England and Favre pushed for him when he was back with Green Bay......yeah, not gonna happen.
Till Next Week,
SKOL Vikings!
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Favre and Social Media
After taking a couple of days to digest the start of Favrepaloza 2010, I decided it was time to rant a bit about this week's media handling of the situation. Reporting is much different now than it was 20 years ago. Long before social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, journalists would actually spend time gathering facts on a particular story before a single finger touched a keyboard or pen (yes, people actually used to write things out first). Now someone hears a possible rumor, tweets about it like it's gospel, and before you know it, within a matter of minutes, it's spread across every media outlet in the nation.
That's exactly what happened this week when StarTribune's Judd Zulgad issued this Tweet: "Brett Favre began telling Vikings officials last night he will NOT return for a 20th season."
By the end of the hour, ESPN jumped all over this and began running non-stop Favre coverage to include Favre's top ten plays and moments and his legendary career. Why and how does this happen? Have we not all learned that when Brett's involved, it's best to wait things out and get clarification. The entire time this was going on, I didn't believe a single word of it. It's one thing if Favre had called a press conference and stated that he's done (to which we still can't believe what he says), but this was all based off some unknown players supposedly stating that Favre had texted them.
The entire debacle was uncalled for and could have easily been avoided had today's journalists done their homework first, like they were once expected to do. Favre took a lot of heat and criticism on this one and for a change, he didn't do anything wrong. That's not to say that he's off the hook however. He could have easily made a phone call to his buddy at ESPN Ed Werder and made a statement to be aired that he never said he's done playing.
As for the reports now coming out that this was a move in order for Favre to get more money from the Vikings, I don't buy that one bit. It's never been about the money for Favre and he's already poised to make 13 Million this season.
Instead, I believe it's all about covering up the fact that he's once again, not in Mankato. His latest statement is that if his ankle can handle it, he's playing. Much like the timing of his shoulder last year, this provides a built in excuse for not showing up to camp and the possible unfortunate event that he does not produce the great numbers of last season.
In the end, we should not care and take note that this was all expected to begin with. Sure Packer fans laughed and warned us all about his team hijacking ways, but in the end, who was one game (play) away from the Super Bowl last year? The Favre led Vikings, not the Packers.
That's exactly what happened this week when StarTribune's Judd Zulgad issued this Tweet: "Brett Favre began telling Vikings officials last night he will NOT return for a 20th season."
By the end of the hour, ESPN jumped all over this and began running non-stop Favre coverage to include Favre's top ten plays and moments and his legendary career. Why and how does this happen? Have we not all learned that when Brett's involved, it's best to wait things out and get clarification. The entire time this was going on, I didn't believe a single word of it. It's one thing if Favre had called a press conference and stated that he's done (to which we still can't believe what he says), but this was all based off some unknown players supposedly stating that Favre had texted them.
The entire debacle was uncalled for and could have easily been avoided had today's journalists done their homework first, like they were once expected to do. Favre took a lot of heat and criticism on this one and for a change, he didn't do anything wrong. That's not to say that he's off the hook however. He could have easily made a phone call to his buddy at ESPN Ed Werder and made a statement to be aired that he never said he's done playing.
As for the reports now coming out that this was a move in order for Favre to get more money from the Vikings, I don't buy that one bit. It's never been about the money for Favre and he's already poised to make 13 Million this season.
Instead, I believe it's all about covering up the fact that he's once again, not in Mankato. His latest statement is that if his ankle can handle it, he's playing. Much like the timing of his shoulder last year, this provides a built in excuse for not showing up to camp and the possible unfortunate event that he does not produce the great numbers of last season.
In the end, we should not care and take note that this was all expected to begin with. Sure Packer fans laughed and warned us all about his team hijacking ways, but in the end, who was one game (play) away from the Super Bowl last year? The Favre led Vikings, not the Packers.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Childress addresses questions since meeting with Favre, sorta
Brad Childress finally fielded some questions today on KFAN since his little meeting with Favre down in Mississippi this past Monday. So what do we know now that we didn't before this thought provoking visit to KFAN? Nothing. As a matter of fact, here's some quotes from the charming head coach that pretty much sums it all up:
"I don't know if he's going to play this year and I don't know if he knows if he's going to play this year."
On the supposed 14 pound weight gain of Favre's:
"He didn't look any different to me," Childress said. "I wouldn't say he's like a puss bucket or anything like that. He said he's gained a little weight. I think what he told me was that his wife Deanna said to him, 'Well, I don't know if you're going to play football anymore or not but you need to do something because you are getting a little soft.'"
It's not a physical decision, but a mental one:
"It's just whether you have it mentally to keep going," Childress said. "Physically, I think he's in pretty good shape. ... I think he's going to do the right thing. I wouldn't want him in half-cocked. I wouldn't want him in to run down the road and back in get a paycheck. That's not the way he's wired. You're not toeing the water, you're not kind of pregnant. You're either all in or you're not all in. That's wherein the decision lies."
How about those rocky times Favre mentioned:
"Was it rocky at times?" Childress said. "I certainly knew of his skill set, but I didn't know the man probably as well as I could have known the man. Was there a recruitment period? Sure there is, and then it's a different deal when he's a strong-willed guy, I'm a strong-willed guy. But one lap around the track I know what I know about him now, watching him on the field, watching him in the building. That's what that visit was about."
As you can see, it was another slow Vikings news day filled with some of the same Favre talk that never seems to end when it comes to the off-season. The local media and ESPN eat this stuff up, but we all know the end result - Favre will be here no earlier than Mid-August, just in time for the Vikings caravan to make the final trip back up North 169 to Winter Park.
"I don't know if he's going to play this year and I don't know if he knows if he's going to play this year."
On the supposed 14 pound weight gain of Favre's:
"He didn't look any different to me," Childress said. "I wouldn't say he's like a puss bucket or anything like that. He said he's gained a little weight. I think what he told me was that his wife Deanna said to him, 'Well, I don't know if you're going to play football anymore or not but you need to do something because you are getting a little soft.'"
It's not a physical decision, but a mental one:
"It's just whether you have it mentally to keep going," Childress said. "Physically, I think he's in pretty good shape. ... I think he's going to do the right thing. I wouldn't want him in half-cocked. I wouldn't want him in to run down the road and back in get a paycheck. That's not the way he's wired. You're not toeing the water, you're not kind of pregnant. You're either all in or you're not all in. That's wherein the decision lies."
How about those rocky times Favre mentioned:
"Was it rocky at times?" Childress said. "I certainly knew of his skill set, but I didn't know the man probably as well as I could have known the man. Was there a recruitment period? Sure there is, and then it's a different deal when he's a strong-willed guy, I'm a strong-willed guy. But one lap around the track I know what I know about him now, watching him on the field, watching him in the building. That's what that visit was about."
As you can see, it was another slow Vikings news day filled with some of the same Favre talk that never seems to end when it comes to the off-season. The local media and ESPN eat this stuff up, but we all know the end result - Favre will be here no earlier than Mid-August, just in time for the Vikings caravan to make the final trip back up North 169 to Winter Park.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Vikings Madden 2011 Player Ratings Released
I've been absent for far too long here, but the NFL season is upon us so I hope to update my thoughts and views on the Vikings from now and on through the season. Please note that I'm messing around with the different layouts to this blog so it's subject to change, hopefully for the better.
It's that time of the year again. You are either enjoying the high's of your favorite baseball team (White Sox), the up and down pitching rotation headaches (Twins), or the usual summer slump that does not seem to end (Tigers). For the rest of us, we await the start of NFL training camp. While most of the world was captivated by the Dutch's run for World Cup Glory, we; the faithful fans of the gridiron, clamored to watch even the 4th quarter of a preseason game.
Aside from training camps opening over the next couple of weekends, us NFL junkies also look forward to our annual Madden fix on the console of choice. With the recent release of the team player ratings, I thought I would point out some interesting tidbits in regards to the Vikings.
Eight players on the Vikings roster post a rating of 90 or better. Here's a quick breakdown of them:
Jarred Allen - 99 Here's hoping the recent loss of the mullet has zero affect on him.
Adrian Peterson - 98 One has to assume that if he could only hold on to the ball, he'd be a 99 as well.
Kevin Williams - 97 The other half of the Williams wall was low balled with a 88.
Steve Hutchinson - 97 Hard to argue this one, one of the best in the game at his position every year.
Brett Favre - 92 With or without the drama queen act, we all know he'll be back.
Ryan Longwell - 92 Ack! Another former Packer makes the list.
Bryant McKinnie - 90 A very optimistic rating here. He better be prepared to face Julius Peppers twice this season!
Sidney Rice - 90 Much deserved and I expect him to be even better this season.
Jarred Allen is only one of six players to attain the equivalent to Doom's God Mode - the mighty 99. As stated before Peterson could have been yet another if he'd protect the ball a bit better. The Vikings as a team are rated 88, which is one of the best team ratings in the game. Of course, to no surprise to us Vikings fans, the Vikings are the highest rated team in the NFC North.
A few other tidbits in the Vikings ratings that stick out to me include:
- Chris "Warcraft" Kluwe 75: How can one of the best gamers in the NFL be rated a lowly 75? I mean really, he's even in a real band! Kicking away from Reggie Bush might help.
- Greg Lewis 66: The man is holding a ESPY for Best Play for crying out loud! That's got to be at least a +10 buff, right?
- Defensive Backs: Not a single player in the 90's (though I feel there's a strong case for Winfield to be at least 90 - he's rated at 88). Still wondering why the Vikings have a issue defending the passing game?
Well that's it for now, hope you enjoyed it and perhaps we will meet online someday. Mark your calendars and take a day off from work, Madden 2011 hits store shelves on August 10th this year.
Skol Vikings and Game On!
It's that time of the year again. You are either enjoying the high's of your favorite baseball team (White Sox), the up and down pitching rotation headaches (Twins), or the usual summer slump that does not seem to end (Tigers). For the rest of us, we await the start of NFL training camp. While most of the world was captivated by the Dutch's run for World Cup Glory, we; the faithful fans of the gridiron, clamored to watch even the 4th quarter of a preseason game.
Aside from training camps opening over the next couple of weekends, us NFL junkies also look forward to our annual Madden fix on the console of choice. With the recent release of the team player ratings, I thought I would point out some interesting tidbits in regards to the Vikings.
Eight players on the Vikings roster post a rating of 90 or better. Here's a quick breakdown of them:
Jarred Allen - 99 Here's hoping the recent loss of the mullet has zero affect on him.
Adrian Peterson - 98 One has to assume that if he could only hold on to the ball, he'd be a 99 as well.
Kevin Williams - 97 The other half of the Williams wall was low balled with a 88.
Steve Hutchinson - 97 Hard to argue this one, one of the best in the game at his position every year.
Brett Favre - 92 With or without the drama queen act, we all know he'll be back.
Ryan Longwell - 92 Ack! Another former Packer makes the list.
Bryant McKinnie - 90 A very optimistic rating here. He better be prepared to face Julius Peppers twice this season!
Sidney Rice - 90 Much deserved and I expect him to be even better this season.
Jarred Allen is only one of six players to attain the equivalent to Doom's God Mode - the mighty 99. As stated before Peterson could have been yet another if he'd protect the ball a bit better. The Vikings as a team are rated 88, which is one of the best team ratings in the game. Of course, to no surprise to us Vikings fans, the Vikings are the highest rated team in the NFC North.
A few other tidbits in the Vikings ratings that stick out to me include:
- Chris "Warcraft" Kluwe 75: How can one of the best gamers in the NFL be rated a lowly 75? I mean really, he's even in a real band! Kicking away from Reggie Bush might help.
- Greg Lewis 66: The man is holding a ESPY for Best Play for crying out loud! That's got to be at least a +10 buff, right?
- Defensive Backs: Not a single player in the 90's (though I feel there's a strong case for Winfield to be at least 90 - he's rated at 88). Still wondering why the Vikings have a issue defending the passing game?
Well that's it for now, hope you enjoyed it and perhaps we will meet online someday. Mark your calendars and take a day off from work, Madden 2011 hits store shelves on August 10th this year.
Skol Vikings and Game On!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Purple Pride Ponderings Playoff Edition
The last time I scribed one of these was after the Bengals game. A couple of bad road losses would lead many to believe that I just didn't want to continue this when things go amiss. I can assure you that is not the case. My goal was to complete one after every game this season, no matter what, but the Holidays and work got in my way. So before we dig into the Divisional Playoff game, let's catch up with the end of the season, for my sake.
Vikings at Panthers - Another Sunday night game that ended up horribly for the purple. Bryant McKinnie had the worst game of his career as he ended up getting benched. Johnathan Stewart broke the Vikings impressive streak of holding a running back to under 100 yards. The last back to do so was Green Bay's Ryan Grant in 2007. Barely used Matt Moore made the best of his opportunity torching the Vikings for 299 yards and three touchdowns. This was also the game where a possible schism between Brett Favre and Brad Childress took place, but that was more ESPN hype than anything. Panthers went on to win 26-7 in front of a Sunday Night nationally televised crowd.
Vikings at Bears - Another game the Vikings should not have lost. Had they played even a fraction of the way they played in the second half, this game would have never went to overtime and the Vikings would have been victorious. Since the second half of this game, Brett Favre is playing at a level seldom seen by any Quarterback. The Vikings narrowly lost this one in overtime 36-30, with Peterson taking the blame for a overtime fumble.
Giants at Vikings - Sure the Giants had mailed it in before this one, but the Vikings offense was able to continue to gain the confidence they started from the second half of the Bears game. Brett Favre went mental in this one passing for 316 yards and four TD's. Vikings won handily 44-7 and regained their swagger leading into the playoffs.
That quickly brings us up to speed so now it's time to get to the meat of this Playoff Edition.
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Vikings 34
Cowboys 3
Rice, Amazing On and Off the Field
Sidney Rice saw the same story last week that many of us in the Fox9 News viewing area saw. A brave little girl from Richmond, WI is battling Leukemia and has the strong support of her community. Her name is Kathryn Glor and last week, she received a call that put a huge smile on her face. That call was Sidney Rice inviting her and her family to Winter Park this past Saturday to hang out with the team. He then provided them with tickets to the game in his guest seating area, some of the best seats in the Dome.
For a little girl that has had to battle day-after-day, Sidney Rice provided her a weekend of fun and excitement and a chance to escape from her daily battle. This is a classic case of someone giving from the heart, and return, receiving something back. Sidney Rice finished the game with 141 yards (the same number of yards he had in the entire 2008 season) and three touchdowns, leading the Vikings charge to victory.
For more information on this and if you'd like to support Kathryn as well, please visit her Caring Bridge page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathrynglor
Pants on the Ground, Pants on the Ground
Brett Favre is a name well known around country, but he's also a web sensation thanks to You Tube. I welcome his crazy locker room antics. As everyone saw from that video, the entire team buys into his leadership and fuels off his energy.
In a game where the Dallas Defensive line was supposed to dominate and rattle Favre, he instead lit them up for four touchdowns. That can be attributed to the way the Vikings Offensive Line stepped it up for this game, but it also comes from Favre's leadership. It's no secret that McKinnie struggled mightily against Carolina's Julius Peppers and because of that, many thought DeMarcus Ware would do much of the same. Favre let McKinnie know all week long that he believes in him, trusts him, and knows he's up to the challenge and more than capable of shutting down Ware. That's exactly what McKinnie did and with a QB like Favre, if you protect him, he will shred an opposing defense apart.
A True Defensive Leader
While many players made play-after-play on Sunday, sometimes you need to acknowledge the commander that provides the battle plan. Leslie Frazier's scheme for this game was pure brilliance. His decision to challenge Ray Edwards paid dividends and is something that should not be overlooked. With Jarred Allen getting double-teamed on every snap, Edwards is normally in a position where he gets the one-on-one matchups. Frazier picked the perfect time to fire up Edwards as he finished the game with five tackles, three sacks (for a total loss of 23 yards), and a forced fumble.
The entire front four put constant pressure on Romo and set the tone for this game. After hearing all week about how the Dallas front four was going to dominate the game and get to Favre, it was nice to see Frazier tweak his game plan and turn the tables on the Cowboys. Frazier is highly deserving of a head coaching spot and I hope he gets his chance soon. Until then, he's needed here to conjure up a plan to stop the Saints offense.
Momentum vs. Rest
The Vikings, Saints, and Colts all proved that a well rested team is far more dangerous than a Wild Card team with momentum. The Jets are the only team to dispel that this year, but they defeated a team with the most momentum in the NFL.
The Cowboys were red-hot coming into this game, but their last two games were played at home, both times against the Eagles. They flat-out had the Eagles number this year and they played their hearts out in the final two contests while Brad Childress gave the entire team a week off. If you put yourself in a position to play come this time of the year, getting the much needed week of rest is pivotal and there's no denying that it helped the Vikings.
Classless? How about Out Classed
Keith Brooking's little tyraid after the Vikings scored late in the fourth on a 4th and 3 play is rather comical. These are grown men playing in the NFL. Not touchy little kids playing on a Saturday morning. The NFL game is played for 60 minutes, and if you're on defense, you better be ready to make a play no matter what the scoreboard reads. This is the Playoffs, there's no such thing as running up the score when you are on a quest to play in the Super Bowl. At the time of the play, the Cowboys were burning time outs to stop the clock. If they deemed the game out of reach, why bother calling the time outs? The last thing the Vikings defense wanted was to go back out on the field and give up a garbage touchdown. This team dealt all week with talk about how the Cowboys would dominate on both sides of the ball, and I'm sure they were tired of it. The Vikings made a statement with that last touchdown, but not necessarily to the Cowboys. Instead they made a statement to themselves, knowing that they will need to play inspired and flawless football to beat the Saints in New Orleans.
Classless you say Brooking? Not in the least, your team was just simply out classed on this particular Sunday.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Since it's the playoffs, I thought I'd make a little change here and list the top performers on both sides of the ball.
Stud Offensive Player: Sidney Rice - 141 yards and three touchdowns......and a heart of gold to boot.
Stud Defensive Player: Ray Edwards - Stepped up to the plate following Leslie Frazier's challenge, and delivered.
Goat: Keith Brooking - You're not playing Pop Warner Football anymore Keith. You are in the NFL, shut your mouth and make a play. The last time I checked, the NFL is still 40 for 60.
What's on Tap
Instead of the Saints marching in, it's the Vikings marching into New Orleans. This is the NFC match up the NFL has been clamoring for, and now we've got it. The best way to quiet the Super Dome is to get off to a fast start on offense and apply the pressure on Brees on Defense. As long as the Vikings win the turn-over battle, they should have a serious chance to defeat the Saints at home and make their way to Miami. It's been 10 years since the Vikings were in the NFC Championship game and Brett does not have much left to offer after this year so the time is now.
As John Randle would say: Regulators, Mount Up!
Final Thoughts
Reggie Bush provided a bit of Bulletin Board material today stating that he would propose to Kim
Kardashian at the Super Bowl. Sounds like Mr. Bush is overlooking the Vikings in this game. I'm fine with that, the Vikings overlooked the Falcons in '98 and had to suffer watching them go to Miami that year instead.
Either way, this should be a great game and it sure is nice to have another Sunday to look forward to at this time of the year.
Till Next Week,
SKOL VIKINGS!
Vikings at Panthers - Another Sunday night game that ended up horribly for the purple. Bryant McKinnie had the worst game of his career as he ended up getting benched. Johnathan Stewart broke the Vikings impressive streak of holding a running back to under 100 yards. The last back to do so was Green Bay's Ryan Grant in 2007. Barely used Matt Moore made the best of his opportunity torching the Vikings for 299 yards and three touchdowns. This was also the game where a possible schism between Brett Favre and Brad Childress took place, but that was more ESPN hype than anything. Panthers went on to win 26-7 in front of a Sunday Night nationally televised crowd.
Vikings at Bears - Another game the Vikings should not have lost. Had they played even a fraction of the way they played in the second half, this game would have never went to overtime and the Vikings would have been victorious. Since the second half of this game, Brett Favre is playing at a level seldom seen by any Quarterback. The Vikings narrowly lost this one in overtime 36-30, with Peterson taking the blame for a overtime fumble.
Giants at Vikings - Sure the Giants had mailed it in before this one, but the Vikings offense was able to continue to gain the confidence they started from the second half of the Bears game. Brett Favre went mental in this one passing for 316 yards and four TD's. Vikings won handily 44-7 and regained their swagger leading into the playoffs.
That quickly brings us up to speed so now it's time to get to the meat of this Playoff Edition.
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Vikings 34
Cowboys 3
Rice, Amazing On and Off the Field
Sidney Rice saw the same story last week that many of us in the Fox9 News viewing area saw. A brave little girl from Richmond, WI is battling Leukemia and has the strong support of her community. Her name is Kathryn Glor and last week, she received a call that put a huge smile on her face. That call was Sidney Rice inviting her and her family to Winter Park this past Saturday to hang out with the team. He then provided them with tickets to the game in his guest seating area, some of the best seats in the Dome.
For a little girl that has had to battle day-after-day, Sidney Rice provided her a weekend of fun and excitement and a chance to escape from her daily battle. This is a classic case of someone giving from the heart, and return, receiving something back. Sidney Rice finished the game with 141 yards (the same number of yards he had in the entire 2008 season) and three touchdowns, leading the Vikings charge to victory.
For more information on this and if you'd like to support Kathryn as well, please visit her Caring Bridge page: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kathrynglor
Pants on the Ground, Pants on the Ground
Brett Favre is a name well known around country, but he's also a web sensation thanks to You Tube. I welcome his crazy locker room antics. As everyone saw from that video, the entire team buys into his leadership and fuels off his energy.
In a game where the Dallas Defensive line was supposed to dominate and rattle Favre, he instead lit them up for four touchdowns. That can be attributed to the way the Vikings Offensive Line stepped it up for this game, but it also comes from Favre's leadership. It's no secret that McKinnie struggled mightily against Carolina's Julius Peppers and because of that, many thought DeMarcus Ware would do much of the same. Favre let McKinnie know all week long that he believes in him, trusts him, and knows he's up to the challenge and more than capable of shutting down Ware. That's exactly what McKinnie did and with a QB like Favre, if you protect him, he will shred an opposing defense apart.
A True Defensive Leader
While many players made play-after-play on Sunday, sometimes you need to acknowledge the commander that provides the battle plan. Leslie Frazier's scheme for this game was pure brilliance. His decision to challenge Ray Edwards paid dividends and is something that should not be overlooked. With Jarred Allen getting double-teamed on every snap, Edwards is normally in a position where he gets the one-on-one matchups. Frazier picked the perfect time to fire up Edwards as he finished the game with five tackles, three sacks (for a total loss of 23 yards), and a forced fumble.
The entire front four put constant pressure on Romo and set the tone for this game. After hearing all week about how the Dallas front four was going to dominate the game and get to Favre, it was nice to see Frazier tweak his game plan and turn the tables on the Cowboys. Frazier is highly deserving of a head coaching spot and I hope he gets his chance soon. Until then, he's needed here to conjure up a plan to stop the Saints offense.
Momentum vs. Rest
The Vikings, Saints, and Colts all proved that a well rested team is far more dangerous than a Wild Card team with momentum. The Jets are the only team to dispel that this year, but they defeated a team with the most momentum in the NFL.
The Cowboys were red-hot coming into this game, but their last two games were played at home, both times against the Eagles. They flat-out had the Eagles number this year and they played their hearts out in the final two contests while Brad Childress gave the entire team a week off. If you put yourself in a position to play come this time of the year, getting the much needed week of rest is pivotal and there's no denying that it helped the Vikings.
Classless? How about Out Classed
Keith Brooking's little tyraid after the Vikings scored late in the fourth on a 4th and 3 play is rather comical. These are grown men playing in the NFL. Not touchy little kids playing on a Saturday morning. The NFL game is played for 60 minutes, and if you're on defense, you better be ready to make a play no matter what the scoreboard reads. This is the Playoffs, there's no such thing as running up the score when you are on a quest to play in the Super Bowl. At the time of the play, the Cowboys were burning time outs to stop the clock. If they deemed the game out of reach, why bother calling the time outs? The last thing the Vikings defense wanted was to go back out on the field and give up a garbage touchdown. This team dealt all week with talk about how the Cowboys would dominate on both sides of the ball, and I'm sure they were tired of it. The Vikings made a statement with that last touchdown, but not necessarily to the Cowboys. Instead they made a statement to themselves, knowing that they will need to play inspired and flawless football to beat the Saints in New Orleans.
Classless you say Brooking? Not in the least, your team was just simply out classed on this particular Sunday.
Stud and Goat of the Week
Since it's the playoffs, I thought I'd make a little change here and list the top performers on both sides of the ball.
Stud Offensive Player: Sidney Rice - 141 yards and three touchdowns......and a heart of gold to boot.
Stud Defensive Player: Ray Edwards - Stepped up to the plate following Leslie Frazier's challenge, and delivered.
Goat: Keith Brooking - You're not playing Pop Warner Football anymore Keith. You are in the NFL, shut your mouth and make a play. The last time I checked, the NFL is still 40 for 60.
What's on Tap
Instead of the Saints marching in, it's the Vikings marching into New Orleans. This is the NFC match up the NFL has been clamoring for, and now we've got it. The best way to quiet the Super Dome is to get off to a fast start on offense and apply the pressure on Brees on Defense. As long as the Vikings win the turn-over battle, they should have a serious chance to defeat the Saints at home and make their way to Miami. It's been 10 years since the Vikings were in the NFC Championship game and Brett does not have much left to offer after this year so the time is now.
As John Randle would say: Regulators, Mount Up!
Final Thoughts
Reggie Bush provided a bit of Bulletin Board material today stating that he would propose to Kim
Kardashian at the Super Bowl. Sounds like Mr. Bush is overlooking the Vikings in this game. I'm fine with that, the Vikings overlooked the Falcons in '98 and had to suffer watching them go to Miami that year instead.
Either way, this should be a great game and it sure is nice to have another Sunday to look forward to at this time of the year.
Till Next Week,
SKOL VIKINGS!
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